


Castles in the Air

by Tarlan



Category: Zuma Beach (1978)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Gen, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-27
Updated: 2006-08-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 17:42:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JD stays on the beach to consider his future and finds danger instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Castles in the Air

**Author's Note:**

> DEDICATION: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHY B!

The beach had started to empty as soon as the sun set and JD watched from the lifeguard station as the few remaining people gathered up their towels and bags. The laughter faded with the roar of car engines and, eventually, the parking lot was empty save for one or two vehicles parked in the far distance. He suspected there would be a few private parties held on secluded parts of the beach tonight, ones that needed only two people - male and female. He sighed, knowing that he might have been enjoying his own private party had he not turned down a blatant 'come-on' from one of the beach groupies looking for that final fling of the summer. She had been pretty enough but, after the events of the day, he had not felt inclined towards company.

Everything changed from tomorrow but he was still undecided as to which path he should take now he had graduated from High school. His father was expecting him to join the family business but the thought of spending the rest of his life as a hardware store manager held little appeal. The school's art teacher, Mr. Simons, had shown him an alternative path but JD was not certain he had the courage to face down his father. He had not bothered to explain, just told Simons that he'd think it over. Truth be told, his father was more than a little easy with his fists when he didn't get his way, but JD had learned how to disguise the abuse by blaming those bruises on sporting accidents.

He wondered what the others were going to do with their lives, wondered what plans the geeks - like Norman who spouted Shakespeare and built sandcastles - had made now they had graduated. After their little altercation, Norman had called him the class moron and it wasn't far from the truth. He had to admit that his grades were not good and that he had barely graduated but then, he had always excelled at sports - and his art. It was a shame the artwork didn't really count, being more of an extra-curricular activity Simons had encouraged after JD had been caught defacing the school building one night. Of course, Simons had channeled that 'creativity' into less offensive forms, but JD wondered what his father would say if he ever learned about it. His father assumed he was out with his friends most evenings, little suspecting he was at Simon's home just sitting there, painting and drawing in silence, lost in the worlds of his own creation.

Simons had pulled a few strings and found him a place in an art school. It was a brilliant opportunity, the chance to do something he loved; to create images on any medium that took his fancy, but JD doubted his father would see it the same way - and those fists sure hurt, especially when his father had been drinking.

JD gazed out over the water, watching the moonlight glint off the tops of the gentle swells of an almost glassy ocean. He grinned and dragged off his shirt and pants. Underneath he was still wearing his bathing costume, but he quickly kicked off his sneakers and then went down the stairs to the sandy beach below, taking three steps at a time. He grabbed his surfboard and raced across the rapidly cooling sand, running out to catch up with the fast receding tide. His progress was slowed as the water rose passed his knees but he threw himself onto his board and began to kick out, arms stroking powerfully through the cool water.

After several minutes, JD came to a halt and glanced back to where the shore was but a dark line in the far distance, marked with just a few lights dotted here and there to guide his way back later. There was no breeze; nothing to chop up the waves except for the undertow caused by the receding tide. Out here the ocean was almost flat, just a gentle swell that rocked him up and down like a babe in a cradle. He lay flat on his stomach, limbs dangling bonelessly over the side of the board, and then he tilted his head up, in awe of the millions of stars thrown carelessly across the black robe of the night sky. The moon was half of a pale disc, it's beams striping across the open expanse ahead of him, and he kicked out once more, wanting to bathe in the soft glow of moonlight.

Out here he didn't have to think about the past day - or even tomorrow - just the here and now. His cheek was pressed flat against the hard board, and he could feel the slow current slipping between his fingers and toes, caressing his legs and arms with soothing strokes.

A roar in the distance intruded upon his hearing, bringing him back to the concerns of the real world, but it faded away so he closed his arms and let himself drift once more with the tide. He almost wished he could fall asleep and then wake up in a far distant land where decisions could be put off forever.

The roar came again and JD pushed himself up until he was straddling the surfboard. Looking back towards the shore he realized he had drifted further than he expected. He started scooping against the water, pushing it back to ease his passage towards the land. The roar came again, but much louder, and JD thought he heard laughter drifting on the slight breeze that had picked up suddenly.

The sound of the powerboat engine grew in intensity, heading straight towards him.

A shape loomed up in the darkness, flashing silver from where moonbeams reflected off metal, but the ethereal beauty was lost in an explosion of pain, the surfboard lifting high as the side of the boat struck JD, flipping him high into the air. As he plummeted back into the ocean the water closing over his face muffled his scream of pain. He tried to claw his way back to the surface, bubbles of air rushing from his lungs in an escape bid of their own, but drew his arm in close as spikes of agony radiated out from his shoulder and lower body.

JD dragged in a lungful of air as his head broke through the surface, choking as more water lapped into his open mouth. He could hear voices close by but couldn't work his throat muscles to call out for help.

"What was it?"

"Probably some driftwood, or a seal."

"Christ. My Dad's gonna go spare when he sees the damage."

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

The engine roared back into life and the boat shot away leaving JD alone on the ocean, feebly calling for help. His face slipped under again and he cried out, swallowing more water as he tried to kick himself back up to the surface, but he could feel nothing below his waist except for the excruciating pain. It was as if his body was coming apart. His hand met something hard floating on the surface and he realized, with relief, that it was the remains of his surfboard. JD clung tightly to the remnants of the board and turned pain-filled eyes to the distant shore, mind numbing in horror when he realized how far away it was.

Suddenly, something snapped within him.

" _I'm not gonna die out here._ "

He pushed himself through the pain barrier, forcing as much of the splintered wood beneath him to support his body and then paddled with one arm towards the shore, sobbing with every stroke. When he raised his head again after a few minutes, JD sobbed louder. His energy was almost gone but he had made hardly any ground, the outward tide was impeding his progress. He dropped his head onto the hard, wet wood, his tears mingling with the salty water, numbness spreading through him in both body and mind.

****

David Hunter brought his bike to a halt by the side of the road, letting the engine tick over while he decided what to do next. It had been a strange day; the initial break up with Nancy, and his jealousy on finding her with JD.

"Why JD?"

David shook his head. He believed her, believed that nothing had happened between her and JD, and that she had only used JD to make him jealous. David winced as he thought about his childish behavior at the beach; burying JD's bike, the stupid fight. They had both acted like jerks with Nancy playing one off against the other, and then there was the incident with the sandcastle. It had been fun building it with a group of others on the beach, a way to put aside the worries of the future and focus on the pleasures of today.

He no longer felt any anger towards JD. He was willing to accept that JD's leap to catch a football had been an accident, that JD had not set out intentionally to destroy all their hard work by landing on top of the elaborately crafted turrets. At least the castle had stood long enough for its creators to see it in all its glory, with the water filling the deep moat they had dug around the base.

David pushed aside thoughts of JD. After all, he was the least of David's concerns. It was hard to believe that this time yesterday he had been all set to join Jerry McCabe out on the road, seeking adventure and new experiences before he tied himself down to more years of study. Nancy had wanted him to go straight to college, wanting him to realize the dreams of his youth. It was his selfishness in taking up Jerry's offer without even considering her that had broken them apart. It was discovering that Jerry was a liar, that he had been pretending he had been someone special once, with power, money and influence, that had forced him to rethink his plans. In reality, Jerry had been a shop assistant, selling cheap suits and, to be fair, David had nothing against the man for what he had once been, but he was angry at the lies he had been told. JD might be an arrogant, conceited jerk but at least he was honest.

"JD again."

He was so jealous of JD, had been all the way through High School. JD had been the best football player in the school team, the starring quarterback. He was also the best volleyball player on the beach, sharp-eyed for opportunity, competitive and quick-footed. In contrast, David had always come out as second best in whatever sporting event they competed. He was second in the track events, runner-up in the field events. JD could shoot more baskets than him, and JD could run faster, jump further and higher. JD was the golden boy of sports - an all-rounder. What had JD said to him today? The words came back to him and he could hear the soft voice speaking in his mind.

 _Sore loser, David. Always have been. Always will be._

"But I'm not the only sore loser, am I?"

David recalled the volleyball match against Malibu Beach. It had been a tight game but, from the start, JD had said Norman would be a liability on the Zuma Beach team. He was right, of course. Norman had missed the ball on the match point, and the Zuma Beach team had lost--and JD had rounded on Norman, and on him for insisting JD allow Norman on the team in the first place.

Such a strange day. Norman the geek punches JD and calls him a class moron, and JD... David frowned. JD had picked himself up off the sand and had shaken Norman's hand--no hard feelings. It crossed David's mind that, in all the time he had known JD, he had never seen him raise a fist to anyone who couldn't fight back. He might sneer at them, belittle them or even ignore them as being beneath his notice, but he would never physically hurt anyone weaker than himself.

"JD again."

David sighed in exasperation. Everything seemed to come back to JD today. Nancy, the sandcastle, the volleyball match, even losing that silly piggy back race after Nancy had chosen JD as her partner. David rubbed his arm, absentmindedly, as he recalled their fight, punching each other in the arm in turn until they had both ended up on the sand in a scuffle of flailing arms and kicking legs. In hindsight he realized how foolish and childish they must have appeared to everyone else, but David could not deny that it had been jealousy that drove it: jealousy for always being second, and jealousy in seeing JD with Nancy.

So what was JD's excuse?

"Damn it. Why am I still thinking about JD?"

David clicked into gear and eased back the throttle, pulling away. Just ahead was Zuma Beach, and the lifeguard hut would probably be empty by now. He could sit on the watch deck and try to sift through all the thoughts swimming through his head, see if he could make some sense of it all.

The parking lot was deserted apart from two cars at the far end. David hoped the lovebirds had not decided to nest in the lifeguard hut, and he called out softly as he climbed the steps, not wanting to barge in on them if they were making out. The door was ajar and David bit his lip in annoyance when he saw the shirt, pants and sneakers lying on the floor but there was no sound so, with curiosity winning out, he peaked around the door and found the hut empty. David crouched down and picked up the shirt.

"JD?"

He went back out onto the platform and looked back into the parking lot, finally catching sight of the familiar motorbike in the deepening shadows. David looked out across the inky blackness that was the ocean but could see no sign of a swimmer. He chewed on his lower lip, afraid of being caught for a fool, but that niggling sense that had drawn him back to Zuma Beach still held him in its tight grip. David cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted out across the water.

"JD?"

He listened hard, hindered by the swishing of the waves across the sand, cupping one hand around his ear in the hope of catching even the slightest call. There was something, a distant cry, though it could have been a gull or even a seal. David leaped down the steps and raced back to the parking lot. He started up his bike and rode to the water's edge, panning the high beam of the bike across the surface of the water, eyes widening in shock when he saw a distant object floating face down. David tore off his shirt and kicked off his sneakers, and then he raced into the water, swimming quickly towards the shape he had seen.

****

The distant sound of a motor bike had raised JD's hopes, temporarily. He had watched the beam of light cross ahead but then the engine had cut out and the light with it. Long moments passed while he fought the agony in his body, and then he thought he heard someone calling his name.

"Here."

He put every remaining ounce of strength behind the call for help and then his head fell back against the hard board. The muscles in his one good arm were trembling with fatigue from trying to hold onto the board, the parts of his body he could feel were shaking from the cold. Every swell brought fresh agony as his limbs were jostled by the water. He closed his eyes, no longer having the will to hold on, knowing that the end was near and soon he would slip into his watery grave. JD laughed once, a sound full of bitterness rather than joy. Suddenly everything was crystal clear, and now, when it was too late, he knew he would have chosen to go to the Art College even though that might mean leaving his family home. His father would have been disappointed in him, bemoaning his choice of building castles in the air rather than accept a solid living in the store, probably wanting to reinforce that view with a few hard punches. This time, however, JD knew he would not wait for those fists to land. Today he had see Norman the geek stand up to a bully--to him--and, in return, JD knew it was his turn to stand up to his father.

A new sound penetrated the fog in his mind and he opened his eyes to see something--or someone--coming towards him. The figure stopped just short of him, a hand brushing back water-soaked hair to reveal a familiar face.

"David?"

"You all right, JD?"

"Hurt."

A hand touched his face. "We need to get you back to shore, then I'll get help. Can you hold on if I pull on the board?"

"Try."

JD could not prevent a cry of pain spilling from his lips as David jerked the board forward but then he gritted his teeth.

"Been one hell of a day, wouldn't you say, JD?"

"Hmmm."

"But it's going to end just fine. You'll see. Just hold on tight."

The worst came when they reached the shore, his legs dragging over the sandy bottom, body battered by the waves as David hauled him the final few feet onto dry land. David rolled him carefully onto his back and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut as a fresh wave of pain crashed over him, barely able to focus on the soft words of reassurance before David sprinted away up the beach. He was slipping in and out but forced himself to focus when he felt some of the chill leave his skin. David had draped both of their shirts over him and had dropped to his side, wrapping his arms around him, tightening his grip when JD cried out in fear.

"Can't feel my legs."

"It's okay, JD. Everything's gonna be okay. But they said I've got to keep you warm until they get here. All I've got is two shirts and my own body so relax, JD."

David bit down hard on his lower lip. In the bright moonlight he could see swelling around JD's left shoulder, could see the strange angle it was set at and knew it was broken or dislocated, but he dare not do any more for JD right now. He was terrified that he may have already caused more damage when dragging him out of the ocean but, at the time, he had no choice: JD had been in acute danger of drowning or dying through hypothermia induced by shock. He had already figured out that either JD's thighbone, hips or pelvis--or maybe even all three--were fractured or broken, and he knew how life threatening any one of those could be.

****

An eerie silence descended, broken only by the waves lapping against the shore and by the distant sound of a car on the highway beyond. JD felt himself drifting again but was brought back by a tap on his cheek.

"You still with me?"

"Yeah."

"So. What plans have you made for the rest of your life?"

"Not what my Dad wants."

David laughed softly. "Opposites again. I'm going to do exactly what my Dad wants. What Nancy wants. I'm going to college."

"Thought... you and Jerry going..."

"So did I, until today. Been a strange day for changes, seeing castles in the air come tumbling down."

JD thought about the sandcastle, how something so fragile had given so much pleasure before he came crashing down upon it.

"Didn't mean to land on that castle."

"I know."

JD could hear sirens in the distance, coming closer and then the warmth from David was gone, replaced by thick blankets and the hands of caring strangers.

****

 **Epilogue:**

He had missed most of the first term through being laid up because of a fractured pelvis and dislocated shoulder, but JD had to admit that he was lucky getting a place here at this prestigious college at all. He had left high school with no recognizable qualifications so it had all come down to the faith Simons had placed in his talent, convincing the board that he was a more than worthy applicant for their college. Once his place was assured, Mr. Simon's had visited him almost daily to keep him from slipping too far behind the other students.

His father had been less than thrilled but the one advantage of that initial conversation taking place at the hospital was that he could not make use of his fists to convey that disappointment. By the time JD was released, his father had begrudgingly accepted his choice, turning his attentions onto JD's younger brother instead.

JD walked slowly through the college corridor, glancing at room numbers. He was still accepting physiotherapy from the hospital but they had been extremely pleased with his progress, and JD had lost count of the number of times they had told him how lucky he was.

"Lucky is not being hit by a speed boat", he murmured.

However, he had been lucky that the glancing blow from the boat had not damaged him internally, and he had been lucky that David had come along when he did. David had visited him at the hospital once or twice, and JD recalled how the fear on the other boy's face had vanished when JD's mother told him that JD would walk again. It seemed so strange that David had saved his life and yet he had been so afraid that JD would hate him for it. However, David was not to know that, even if he had been paralyzed, JD would have never have blamed it on him.

The Police had traced the driver of the speedboat, and JD was going to receive some compensation for the accident, enough to pay off all his college fees in one go and keep him supplied in art equipment for years.

"Room 325."

JD took a deep breath and opened the door, his eyes drifting over the dozen or so faces that had turned towards him, shocked when he saw David sitting over to one side, a drawing pencil poised in his hand. David seemed just as surprised but then he grinned in welcome. JD looked towards the front of the class and received another shock when he found Mr. Simons perched up on the lecturer's desk, a beaming smile on the lecturer's face.

"Ah.. JD. So you finally decided to join us."

As he hobbled over to the desk Mr. Simons had left free for him, JD grinned, knowing that his castles in the air had substance after all.

 **THE END**


End file.
